Rooster with mass in neck, possible tumor, thymus response -- Marek's

[Nambroth]

i am wondering if it is related to his mishapen skull? like a side effect on the nerves? part of just how dear derp is?

Maybe! It seems odd that it would take two years to show up, but with Derp, I won't rule it out. She's never been quite "right", poor thing. At least she is happy!

 

[drumstick diva]

The bottom like is she is' Derp happy'

 

[CinnamonQueen]

Nambroth- have you called your vet about Derp?

 

[Nambroth]

Nambroth- have you called your vet about Derp?

I did. She suggested the vitamin therapy we have been trying. If at any point it gets worse I can try taking her in to the vet. We are still paying off Trousers' bills but I would do all that I could for Derp.

 

[Nambroth]

A small update to the Trousers Saga....

The lady I got Trousers from has since had two different birds from her flock (one was one of Trousers' brothers) tested for Marek's and come up negative. One was via full necropsy and histology and the other via blood sample.
This does not necessarily mean that her flock does not have it (those two may not have carried it), but it is starting to look that way.

What this means is that it's entirely possible that the Marek's in my flock came from the environment. This isn't to scare anyone, but if true, it shows that even a closed flock can get it.

 

[artsyrobin]

Wonderful news for her, is it possible then that the contamination is resident in the soil? How horrible for you!

 

[Nambroth]

Wonderful news for her, is it possible then that the contamination is resident in the soil? How horrible for you!

Maybe, or it could have blown in, or it could have come in on another (wild) animal? It's so hard to guess.
I do know for a fact that there haven't been chickens here for at least 9+ years (before my own) as the prior two owners didn't have them. Before that, I don't know.

 

[seminolewind]

A small update to the Trousers Saga....

The lady I got Trousers from has since had two different birds from her flock (one was one of Trousers' brothers) tested for Marek's and come up negative. One was via full necropsy and histology and the other via blood sample.
This does not necessarily mean that her flock does not have it (those two may not have carried it), but it is starting to look that way.

What this means is that it's entirely possible that the Marek's in my flock came from the environment. This isn't to scare anyone, but if true, it shows that even a closed flock can get it.

Why did she have them tested?

 

[Nambroth]

Why did she have them tested?

One of her hens passed away, so she sent away for full necropsy and histology with the state, and the other was Trousers' brother that a neighbor took right before I adopted Trousers, and he passed away as well. The hen was to bronchitis and the roo's sample was sent to TX A&M... it seems to have been from injury but it is unclear. Both were tested for Marek's. It does not rule it out entirely but it might be possible she doesn't have it in her flock.

 

[altair]

I'm very sorry. I had a small flock very similar to yours, my Altair was a version of Coho, I had 3 Polish Crested much like Derp. And a cast of more "characters". 3-4 of my hens came down with Marek's one by one a year or so apart. They had different symptoms, the first was the inability to walk though they were happy and appeared healthy otherwise (transported her around in a clothes basket, but that's a story for a different day). I chose to put them down since there's no cure. Another got pneumonia very fast, and another filled with an abdominal tumor(s) over a short matter of weeks.

The worse part is they were supposedly vaccinated as chicks from the hatchery I purchased them from. One source I've read from is Marek's is nearly everywhere in the environment and in several strains. With my flock of 11 chicks and beyond I hope to breed and encourage natural resistence.

May the future be better!